After the success of xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, Vin Diesel is set to begin shooting for the fourth film. But will Deepika Padukone return to the franchise as originally planned?

Vin Diesel currently stars in three franchises - Fast & Furious, xXx, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

The rights to Vin Diesel’s xXx franchise have been scooped up by H Collective and the production company wants to capitalise on xXx: The Return of Xander Cage’s substantial China box office and push for a new film to begin shooting in December. Deepika Padukone made her Hollywood debut with the film.

According to Variety, Vin Diesel and the H Collective made a joint announcement on Tuesday. “During my time at Paramount I was lucky to be involved in the development and distribution of xXx: Return of Xander Cage,” the CEO of H Collective said. Paramount Pictures had previously announced a fourth film with a returning cast and crew.

Directed by DJ Caruso, the third xXx movie - the second in the action-adventure series to star Vin Diesel as extreme sports enthusiast-turned-spy Xander Cage - had grossed over $300 million worldwide. The filmhad Deepika Padukone as the film’s lead, Serena Unger.

The report adds that Caruso will return to direct the fourth film, and he had previously announced that he would like to bring back the international cast of xXx 3. Replying to a fan’s question if Deepika will return, Caruso had said, “Oh yes.”

Since the release of xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, Deepika has gone on to star in the Rs 585 crore hit, Padmaavat. However, she has not announced any Hollywood project.